Calvert County Times September 07, 2017 - Page 5

Thursday, September 7, 2017
The Calvert County Times
Local News
5
Budget Process Aired at Town Hall Meeting
Director of Parks and Recreation Shannon Nazzal
By Dick Myers
Editor
Even though the Calvert County budget for Fiscal Year
2018 is only two months old, having started on July 1,
there are people already thinking about next year’s Fiscal
Year 2019 Budget. The Calvert County Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) will have their first budget work
session at their September 19 meeting.
County staff also wanted to know how the public felt
about the budget process. So, on the day before the La-
bor Day weekend began (Aug. 31) they held a public
“Town Hall Meeting” on that topic and quire surpris-
ingly there was a good attendance at Calvert Pines Se-
nior Center. And, county staff did receive some feed-
back. It showed the public interest in learning about the
often-complex process.
After introductions from County Administrator Terry
Shannon and Deputy County Administrator Wilson Par-
ran, the budget process was explained by director of Fi-
nance and Budget Tim Hayden and Deputy Director Joan
Thorpe. They explained that the operating budget funds
county services and operations and the capital budget pri-
oritizes current and future capital needs.
The four phases of the budget process are: requested,
recommended, commissioners’ and adopted. Each has
its own life cycle. County staff make recommendations
which are pared down for the staff recommended bud-
get released in February for a March public hearing. The
BOCC provides input and guidance during that step.
After the first public hearing, the commissioners go
over the budget again and come up with their draft which
goes to the public again before the final decision in June.
Eight people spoke and many of the commenters asked
for clarification of parts of the process. For instance, Mar-
garet Dunkle, who heads the Harriet Elizabeth Brown
Commemorative Task Force, wanted to know the process
for the creation of a permanent community center to be
named after the county’s famed civil rights leader.
The planning commission recently approved five par-
cels off Fairground Road for the community center and
an option on the parcels is expected to be executed later
this year. Dunkle was told that the community center
project needs to get into the county’s capital plan and that
decision rested with the BOCC.
New Director of Parks and Recreation Shannon Naz-
zal said planning for the new building would take about
a year to 18 months followed by a similar timetable for
construction.
Dunkle said she concluded that he commissioners
needed to be reminded about the importance of the proj-
ect so that it will be included in the capital plan.
Other speakers had similar concerns about the Armory
Square Project. Shannon said the proposed county office
building there was in the six-year plan. She said there
have been some negotiations with a developer about the
rest of the project but nothing had been decided.
“We would like to see a development in some form like
the charrette,” Shannon said, referring to the public meet-
ing several years ago in which a preferred development
scheme was developed.
Several speakers were curious about how the annual
infusion of $40 million from the Cove Point LNG plant
would be used. They were told by Hayden that it wasn’t
specifically earmarked for particular projects though
Shannon noted that the county was able for place more
monies in this year’s budget for OPEB (Other Post-Em-
ployment Benefits) to fund future retiree health costs.
One speaker did have a specific recommendation
for the budget process. Trish Powell suggested that the
BOCC establish a community advisory board to help pri-
oritize capital projects.
“I think there needs to be more transparency,”
Powell said.
dickmyers@countytimes.net